EUR-Lex Access to European Union law
This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 02000H0473-20040501
Commission recommendation of 8 June 2000 on the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole (notified under document number C(2000) 1299) (2000/473/Euratom)
Consolidated text: Commission recommendation of 8 June 2000 on the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole (notified under document number C(2000) 1299) (2000/473/Euratom)
Commission recommendation of 8 June 2000 on the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole (notified under document number C(2000) 1299) (2000/473/Euratom)
2000H0473 — EN — 01.05.2004 — 001.001
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
Amended by:
|
|
Official Journal |
||
No |
page |
date |
Amended by:
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
of 8 June 2000
on the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty concerning the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity in the environment for the purpose of assessing the exposure of the population as a whole
(notified under document number C(2000) 1299)
(2000/473/Euratom)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and in particular Article 124 and Article 36 thereof,
Having consulted the group of persons appointed in accordance with Article 31 of the Euratom Treaty by the Scientific and Technical Committee,
Whereas:
(1) |
Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty requires each Member State to establish the facilities necessary to carry out continuous monitoring of the level of radioactivity in the air, water and soil and to ensure compliance with the basic standards. |
(2) |
Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty requires the appropriate authorities periodically to communicate information on the checks referred to in Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty to the Commission so that it is kept informed of the level of radioactivity to which the public is exposed. |
(3) |
Experience has been gained in the application of Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty. It is current practice for the Commission to publish annual monitoring reports, on the basis of quality controlled data received by the Commission in application of Article 36 and Article 39 of the Euratom Treaty. The Commission should continue to publish such annual monitoring reports. |
(4) |
To ensure that the exposure of the population is kept under review it is important that the Commission be informed in a timely fashion and on a uniform basis of the levels of radioactivity to which the population as a whole is exposed in every Member State. |
(5) |
Article 14 of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation ( 1 ) (the Basic Safety Standards) requires contribution to the exposure of the population as a whole from all practices to be regularly assessed. |
(6) |
Article 45 of the Basic Safety Standards requires the competent authorities to ensure that dose estimates for the population as a whole are made as realistic as possible. |
(7) |
Without prejudice to the requirements of Article 35 of the Euratom Treaty, it is sufficient for the review of the exposure of the population as a whole to provide a defined set of specific monitoring results. |
(8) |
To ensure compliance with the Basic Safety Standards it is important that, in addition to air, water and soil, levels of radioactivity be determined in biological samples and in particular in foodstuffs, and that, to assess external exposure, the ambient dose rates be monitored. |
(9) |
The monitoring of levels of radioactivity in soil does not allow a direct assessment of the exposure of the population. The exposure related to soil contamination is more directly assessed on the basis of ambient dose rate and foodstuff contamination. Experience has shown that the incorporation of soil data in the monitoring serves little useful purpose. |
(10) |
It is necessary to keep under review which sampling media and which radionuclide categories are relevant indicators of actual and potential levels of radioactivity in the environment and of exposure of the population. |
(11) |
There is consensus among Member States as to the adequacy of current monitoring programmes. Such monitoring may change in function of the evolution of levels of radioactivity, measurement technology, and the needs in view of emergency response. The Commission will keep under review the adequacy of monitoring programmes and will involve the group of experts established under Article 31 of the Euratom Treaty in this process. |
(12) |
In the framework of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty, the data on discharges of radionuclides to the environment from nuclear power plants and reprocessing plants are already requested in Commission Recommendation 1999/829/Euratom of 6 December 1999 on the application of Article 37 of the Euratom Treaty ( 2 ). |
(13) |
Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption ( 3 ) provides for indicator parameters for radioactivity. This Recommendation is without prejudice to specific requirements under Annex II and Annex III to that Directive. |
(14) |
The uniformity, comparability, transparency and timeliness of data reported in accordance with Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty should be ensured. |
HEREBY RECOMMENDS:
1. |
In order to discharge their obligation under Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty periodically to communicate information on the results of the monitoring of the levels of radioactivity which they are bound to perform under the terms of Article 35 of that Treaty, the Member States should forward to the Commission, in accordance with the time periods set out in point 5(c), the monitoring results listed in Annex I. In case of an elevated concentration of a radionuclide not specified in Annex I, appropriate date should also be forwarded. |
2. |
For the purposes of this Recommendation, the following definitions apply:
|
3. |
Member States should notify to the Commission the appropriate authorities referred to in Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty. |
4. |
The following requirements should be met: (a) Monitoring networks (i) Each Member State should define representative geographical regions for its own territory. (ii) Each Member State should define for each type of medium a sparse monitoring network and a dense monitoring network. (iii) The sites comprising a network should be representative of the regional situation taking into account, where appropriate, the population distribution within the region. (b) Sampling media, types of measurements, and periodicity (i) The sampling media and types of measurements are listed in Annex I. Except where otherwise specified in this Recommendation, measurements should preferably be carried out for the sparse network on a monthly basis and for the dense network quarterly. (ii) For the sparse monitoring network, the detection limits and sensitivities of the measurement instruments should allow the actual levels to be quantified. (iii) For the dense monitoring network, the detection limits of the measurement devices should be lower than the reporting levels defined in Annex III. (iv) The Member States should inform the Commission of the detection limits and of the uncertainties taken into account. (v) The Member States should retain measurement techniques that have proven reliable and ensure quality control of the results. (vi) Member State laboratories supplying data under the terms of this Recommendation should periodically participate in intercomparison exercises, in particular those organised by the Commission, so as to ensure the intercomparability of the data reported. (c) Sampling strategies and measurements in relation to each of the required sampling media (i) Airborne particulates Measurements of gamma emitting radionuclides should be performed on a routine basis to detect and measure man-made radioisotopes as well as naturally occurring radionuclides. Beryllium-7 should be reported as a qualitative check of the methods used. Where gross beta activity ( 4 ) measurements are recorded these should also be reported. Sampling locations should be in the vicinity of densely populated areas; adequate geographical coverage should be ensured by the choice of at least one sampling location per geographical region. Sampling should be performed by systems operating continuously.
|
5. |
The procedure for reporting to the Commission should be as follows: (a) Treatment of data The Member States should forward to the Commission data which have been subject to quality control and cleared for public release. The data set should contain all details listed in Annex IV. The Member States should forward the data in the format defined by the Commission and preferably use the specialised software provided by the Commission. Tndividual non-aggregated measurement data should be transmitted for each medium and each site rather than average values. However, if the data correspond to direct continuous measurements, then the monthly averages for each site should be communicated. (b) Means of transmission Data should be forwarded in a digital form using the most appropriate electronic media. (c) Periodicity All available data should be forwarded to the Commission as soon as they are validated in order to allow for a prompt assessment by the Commission of the impact of environmental radioactivity on public health. All data for a calendar year should be submitted no later than 30 June of the following year. (d) Transmission of other data In addition to the data transmitted under point (a), Member States should transmit to the Commission their national monitoring reports to allow a fuller understanding of the significance of the data referred to in Annex I in relation to the national monitoring programmes. The Commission's annual monitoring reports will list references to those national reports. (e) Intergration of reporting practices Data regularly reported under Article 36 of the Euratom Treaty, data voluntarily reported other than national monitoring reports and large amounts of data of types potentially relevant in emergency situations should be forwarded through the same communication means and channels and in the same format in order to simplify reporting practices and to avoid duplication of efforts and to conduct regular exercises of the emergency arrangements. |
6. |
This Recommendation is addressed to the Member States. |
ANNEX I
Sample types and measurements
Media |
Measurement category |
|
Dense network |
Sparse network |
|
Airborne particulates |
Cs-137, gross beta |
Cs-137, Be-7 |
Air |
Ambient gamma dose rate |
Ambient gamma dose rate |
Surface water |
Cs-137, residual beta |
Cs-137 |
Drinking water |
Tritium, Sr-90, Cs-137 Natural radionuclides as monitored in compliance with Council Directive 98/83/EC |
Tritium, Sr-90, Cs-137 Natural radionuclides as monitored in compliance with Council Directive 98/83/EC |
Milk |
Cs-137, Sr-90 |
Cs-137, Sr-90, K-40 |
Mixed diet |
Cs-137, Sr-90 |
Cs-137, Sr-90, C-14 |
ANNEX II
Definition of country partitions and country codes according to ISO 3166/4217
Country |
Geographical region |
Detailed description |
AT |
Austria |
|
BE |
Belgium |
|
CY |
Cyprus |
|
CZ |
Czech Republic |
|
DE-N |
Germany — North |
Bremen, Hamburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein |
DE-C |
Germany — Central |
Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland |
DE-S |
Germany — South |
Baden-Württemberg and Bayern |
DE-E |
Germany - East |
Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen |
DK |
Denmark |
|
EE |
Estonia |
|
ES-N |
Spain — North |
Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, Navarra, Pais Vasco and Rioja |
ES-C |
Spain — Central |
Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-León, Extremadura and Madrid |
ES-S |
Spain — South |
Andalucia, Canarias, Ceuta and Melilla and Murcia |
ES-E |
Spain — East |
Baleares, Cataluña and Communidad Valenciana |
FI-N |
Finland — North |
Lappland and Oulu |
FI-S |
Finland — South |
Ahvenanmaa, Central Finland, Hame, North Karelia, Kuopio, Kymi, Mikkeli, Turku and Pori, Uusimaa and Vaasa |
FR-NW |
France — Northwest |
Brittany, Centre, Île de France, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Haute Normandie, Basse Normandie, Pays de la Loire and Picardie |
FR-NE |
France — Northeast |
Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne-Ardenne, Franche-Comté and Lorraine |
FR-SW |
France — Southwest |
Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Midi-Pyrénées and Poitou-Charentes |
FR-SE |
France — Southeast |
Auvergne, Corse, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur and Rhône-Alpes |
GR |
Greece |
|
HU |
Hungary |
|
IE |
Ireland |
|
IT-N |
Italy — North |
Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Piemonte, Provincie di Trento e Bolzano, Val d'Aosta and Veneto |
IT-C |
Italy — Central |
Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche, Molise, Tuscany, Umbria and Sardinia |
IT-S |
Italy — South |
Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily |
LT |
Lithuania |
|
LU |
Luxembourg |
|
LV |
Latvia |
Air and airborne particules: Daugavpils, Baldone Surface water: river Daugava (river mouth) Drinking water — Rīga: Milk and mixed diet – Rīga, Daugavpils |
MT |
Malta |
|
NL |
Netherlands |
|
PL |
Poland |
|
PT |
Portugal |
|
SE-N |
Sweden — North |
Jämtland, Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Västernorrland |
SE-S |
Sweden — South |
Ålvsborg, Blekinge, Bohus Gävleborg, Gotland, Halland, Jönköping, Kalmar, Kopparberg, Kronoberg, Malmöhus, Örebro, Östergötland, Skaraborg, Skane, Södermanland, Stockholm, Uppsala, Värmland and Västmanland. |
SI |
Slovenia |
|
SK |
Slovakia |
|
UK-EN |
United Kingdom — England |
East Anglia, Northern England, North-West England, South-East England, South-West England, East Midlands, West Midlands and North-East England |
UK-SC |
United Kingdom — Scotland |
|
UK-WL |
United Kingdom— Wales |
|
UK-NI |
United Kingdom— Northern Ireland |
|
Definition of the geographical regions
ANNEX III
Reporting levels
Sample type |
Radionuclide category |
Reporting level |
Air |
Gross beta (based on Sr-90) Cs-137 |
5 E−03 Bq/m3 3 E−02 Bq/m3 |
Surface water |
Residual beta (based on Sr-90) Cs-137 |
6 E−01 Bq/l 1 E+00 Bq/l |
Drinking water |
H-3 Sr-90 Cs-137 |
1 E+02 Bq/l 6 E−02 Bq/l 1 E−01 Bq/l |
Milk |
Sr-90 Cs-137 |
2 E−01 Bq/l 5 E−01 Bq/l |
Mixed diet |
Sr-90 Cs-137 |
1 E−01 Bq/d.p (1) 2 E−01 Bq/d.p |
(1) Becquerel per person per day. |
ANNEX IV
LIST OF MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS PER DATA RECORD
1. REQUIREMENTS FOR SAMPLING DATA
A. Sample characteristics
Sample type
Sample treatment (e.g. chemical treatment, delay of five days, etc.)
B. Date and time
Sampling date
Date type (e.g. begin date, end date, etc.)
Sampling time ( 6 )
Time system ( 7 ) (e.g. GMT)
Duration of sampling (in hours)
C. Location
Locality name
NUTS-Code
Latitude, longitude specified in degrees, minutes or in decimal degrees
Catchment ( 8 ) (for surface waters: name of river, lake, reservoir or sea)
2. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEASUREMENT DATA
Laboratory name
Nuclide category
Apparatus type
Activity value
Uncertainty
Uncertainty type
Value unit
Value type
Reference date ( 9 ) (date for which the activity value is given)
Flow rate ( 10 ) (in case of river water)
Production rate ( 11 ) (for milk and drinking water)
Volume produced or distributed in a year (for drinking water).
( 1 ) OJ L 159, 29.6.1996, p. 1.
( 2 ) OJ L 324, 16.12.1999, p. 23.
( 3 ) OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 32.
( 4 ) The total measured beta activity in a sample; depending on the measurement methodology tritium and in general very low energy beta emitters are normally not included and short lived radon daughters are excluded through a sufficient delay time (e.g. five days) before counting.
( 5 ) The total measured beta acitivity minus potassium-40 activity.
( 6 ) Only to be mentioned if appropriate.
( 7 ) Only to be mentioned if appropriate.
( 8 ) Only to be mentioned if appropriate.
( 9 ) Only to be mentioned if appropriate.
( 10 ) Only to be mentioned if appropriate.
( 11 ) Only to be mentioned if appropriate.